broadcasting live from charlotte, north carolina. jon: we have michelle obama on night number one. bill clinton on night number two. then we move to the stadium. 77,000 you think. martha: hopefully no thunderstorms. bill: enjoy your families today have a gait barbecue. happy lable about day to you. martha: happy labor day to you at home. "happening now" starts right now. jon: gearing up for the democratic national convention on this labor day. good morning i'm jon scott. jenna: hi, i'm jenna lee. we're live on the convention floor where democrats are descending on charlotte where this week they will renominate president obama for a second term. the president and vice president aren't quite there yet. campaigning in a few other battleground states among other things. but the gop vice-presidential nominee is in north carolina. paul ryan is set to hold a rally roughly two hours from

now. host city charlotte celebrating labor day with a festival in the heart of all the convention activity. wendell goler is live in the thick of it all with more for us. hi, there, wendell. >> reporter: hi, jenna. this is how the democratic national committee celebrates labor day in the state with the smallest percentage of union workers in the country. it is a called carolina fest. lots of food, family, music to help richard trumka, head of the afl-cio to make him feel about the convention being held here. he was unhappy enough to he told the executive board that we won't be buying skyboxes or bring a big staff to the election and big labor will still work to reelent the president. he offered is his own take on the republican you didn't build that line. >> i want to say thanks to america's workers. you built this country. you wake it up each day. you make it run and you put it to sleep each night.

>> reporter: meanwhile the president is continuing his road to charlotte through a tour to battle ground states. he is one of the most important, ohio. hoping to deny mitt romney a path to the white house. no republican has won the presidency this century without ohio. one of the reasons the democrats are holding their convention in north carolina to give the president a chance to carry the state in 2008. he was the first democrat to win her since jimmy carter a new poll by elon university and the "charlotte observer" gives mitt romney a four point lead, 47% to 43% t will be an uphill climb. mr. obama will take a break from the campaign trail this afternoon to look at damage done by hurricane isaac in louisiana and console victims and first-responders. jenna: a busy day. wendell, thank you very much. jon: the president is not wasting any campaign opportunities. he is hitting four key battle ground states before

arriving in charlotte for the democratic national convention. let's look at the states where the president will be headed. he is paying a visit to iowa. if you look at the poll numbers this race could not be any tighter. look at iowa. 45% to the president to 44.8 for mitt romney. that is the "real clear politics" average of the president also headed to colorado where it is a 47.6 to 46% race. in ohio, if i can get the number, the magic board to call up the ohio numbers, 46.6 for the president to 45.2 for mitt romney. the president also stopping in virginia. and i just can't make the virginia button work. well, let me tell you the numbers in virginia. it's, there we see it. 47.3% for the president. 46.7 for mr. romney. now only in north carolina among all these polls, only in north carolina does mitt romney come out on top in the "real clear politics"

average. 46.5%. about a point and a third better than the president's 45.3. let's talk about it now with david drucker. he is associate politics editor at "roll call". the folks at gallup were taking a look at the post, unqost, post-convention bounce for mitt romney and not finding any. does that matter? do you agree with their assessment? >> well, gallup is professional. they do a good job. i will not argue with gallup. you always want a bounce coming out of the convention if you get it. the reason we call it a bounce because it usually comes back down-to-earth a little bit. to look at mitt romney's convention we have to ask did he accomplish the goals he set out to accomplish? did he get done what he needed to get done. from the perspective of making sure people know more about who he is as a person to combat the obama administration's, i should say the obama's campaign's narrative of him as an evil businessman who wants to take all of your money and send it overseas, i think

that they did something that was very necessary. people know about his private life. they know he a good guy. they know he is general russ. now they now they need to make the case his policies would make the country better and would create jobs and that's where i think the debates will really come into play. jon: a lot of money has been spent trying to characterize both these campaigns and so far the democrats have spent more. when you look at the total outlays so far, governor romney and the republicans have spent about 326 million on this race. president obama and the democrats, 481 million. and there is still money yet to be spent. with governor romney and the republicans having about 119 million in the bank. president obama and the democrats, 103 million. so, you know, at this point the two are essentially tied. the democrats have spent more money but romney has more in the bank. that has got to be good news

for his side? >> well their plan was to survive the summer when governor romney had only access to primary money, not any of the general election money he has been raising. if they felt could get you there the summer and all the personal attacks on romney's character and business career, they would emerge from the convention finally with all the money they have been raising to spend and it would put them in a good position going forward. in the battleground states like iowa, colorado, where they can unleash all the money they're in a very good position. the question then, remains, do they have the ground game, the get-out-the-vote operation and the connection with voters on the ground to turn their voters out. because we know that the obama team is doing this at a level probably technologically than we've we've ever seen. they spent a lot of money invested there. they will be able to do what they need to do there. the caveat, you can turn them out. you can't force them to vote for you. jon: voters know president

obama or they think they do. they see him on tv every day. >> yeah. jon: he is able to use the bully pulpit of the presidency. if the republican convention was the start of introducing voters to mitt romney, then he has the money to spend to be able to highlight some of the accomplishments that he wants to know about? >> correct. and what i think that is important for him to do now is to folk -- focus on his plans for fixing things. it doesn't have to get too complicated. i'm not a big fan tacticswise of getting into deep specifics with a lot of white papers. jon: the 59-point plan didn't do it for you? >> well, politically it doesn't help matters that is why mitt romney boiled it down to a five-point plan but i think he needs to spend a lot of times talking about plans for tax reform and things of that nature. the convention was the place he needed to talk about who he is as a person. he needs to go forward to talk about how his policies will make the country better.

he needs to attack the president from a leadership perspective which he has done a decent job at. that's why i think the debates will be so crucial. the president gets a chance to reset his presidency a bit if he can. he will explain why we're doing the best we can at this point, probably better. if you give me a little more time, if we don't goat back to the policies that got us into this mess we make sure we end up where we want to be. that will be a big argument of his. we they he is very effective campaigner. we'll see how the public reacts to his nomination speech and acceptance speech on thursday. jon: we highlighted polls showing the two campaigns essentially tied. it will be interesting to watch the next 64 days. david drucker, thanks for watching it with us. >> thank you. jenna: president obama heading to louisiana later today to visit areas damaged by hurricane isaac. this is one day before the official kickoff of the democratic national convention. and this is also happening

as utility companies make progress in restoring power there. more than 700,000 homes in that state lost electricity after the beg storm hit. in the meantime floodwaters in parts of louisiana are receding and folks are finally venturing out. some are getting fresh supplies. others are trying to take stock of the damage. >> right now, they're just getting to where they can get out to get their food or freshwater or even see anybody else. >> today with us we're watching water go down and trying to get back into salvage whatever we can. jenna: probably can't go down fast enough, right? the situation remains grim in a parish southeast of new orleans. the storm killing at least seven people there. floodwaters still very high. thousands remain homeless with others coping as best they can. casey stiegel live in new orleans with more. casey talk to us a little bit about the progress some of the crews are making. >> reporter: jenna, i don't know if you can hear it but actually a chainsaw started

up over in the distance and we're start to really see progress in in terms of crews out not just in new orleans but all of the parishes around us where we saw significant amounts of damage. they're getting downed trees out of the way. they're trying to clear up some of the roads so people are able to start getting back into their homes. though frankly some people, still have to get to their homes by boat. that is what we're seeing in plaquemines parish. of course one of the areas hardest hit after a levee overtopped there. it was not one of these federally-made levee that was put in after hurricane katrina. it was a community built-earthen levee that was overtopping and inundated the community of brathwaite. some of those evacuation orders were lifted. people going in with police escort. going in by boat. people saw water levels up to the second story windows. reports that people had to

be rescued off their roofs. now they're going in to see what is left if anything really of their home. a lot of waters receding really quickly what is called controlled releases of water. we have video of that. essentially that is when crews go in with heavy equipment, even shovels at times, they will intentionally cut holes in the levees so that the water will drain out much quickly. you sort of think about it as a bowl. when water overtops a levee it just sort of sits in this community. so instead of the pumps, instead of relying on pumps to get all of the floodwaters out of there, they will cut holes in the levee so the waters can drain much more quickly. of course you can see the sun shining behind me, a very welcome site as it will also dry out some of these drenched regions, jenna. jenna: there is a little bit of a higher pace of that happening. good thing for the communities as we mentioned at top of the show. the president will visit

new orleans, louisiana. thank you, casey. >> reporter: you got it. jon: what is left of hurricane isaac is causing major flooding in our nation's capital. you can see cars stalling in floodwaters. one motorist needing to be rescued. the city saw heavy downpours over the weekend causing delays for metro service, the underground there. d.c. is expected to see the effects of isaac until wednesday. jenna: think we'll get it. jon: i think we're getting it. jenna: hard for the perspective what people in louis are going through, waters up to the second story after house. meantime i will tell you what is happening in illinois. drew peterson accused of killing his third wife while under the suspicion of the disappearance of his fourth wife. you know the story by now. the prosecution and defense are wrapping up. they have their final arguments in the murder trial tomorrow. we'll look what each side

needs to do to win. jon: women on the battlefield, are they fit to fight? a new editorial from a female marine captain sparking a whole lot of controversy. we're live with her story. jenna: we're all over the democratic national convention. a preview of the action this week including big speeches, plus more in depth analysis ahead here on fox news. [ femal] they can be enlightening. hey, bro. or engaging. conversations help us learn and grow. at wells fargo, we believe you can never underestimate the power of a conversation. it's this exchange of ideas that helps you move ahead with confidence. so when the conversation turns to your financial goals... turn to us. if you need anything else, let me know. [ female announcer ] wells fargo. together we'll go far.

jon: right now iran is granting a tour of its nuclear facility to the president of mongolia, the first foreign leader to get a inside look at its main uranium enrichment plant. iran previously allowed foreign diplomats and reporters access to the site and international inspectors visit the plant historically. this comes as the west continues to question iran's nuclear ambitions. iran claims the program is just for peaceful purposes. two pakistanis killed and two americans wounded in

an attack in northern pakistan. police say 17 others were also injured yesterday when a homicide bomber rammed a car filled with explosives into a u.s. government vehicle. the americans are expected to recover. this fiery scene is a gruesome reminder of the dangers of working in pakistan where taliban and al qaeda militants operate. so far no one has claimed responsibility for this attack. jenna: a controversial editorial today about women in combat written by a female marine captain. it is titled, get over it. we're not all created equal. captain catty petrionio says women are not fit for intran try and putting them on the front line to hurt national security. correspondent jennifer griffin is in washington with more. >> reporter: ironically she served two tours in cam pat so she knows what she is talking about. first time ever two women qualified and gone through the what is known as the

infantry officer course at quantico this month. this is a grueling 86-day training course designed to weed out marine infantry officers. she played ice hockey in college. she squatts 200 pounds and benches 145 pounds. she has already seen combat. two tours, one in iraq and an even tougher one in afghanistan. she ranked fourth out of 52 candidates in officer candidate school. >> i read the article five years ago when i finished basic school and pinned on as an officer. i would have fully the supported integration of females into the infantry. after two combat deployments, my perspective has completely changed. >> reporter: women go through the combat endurance test which has elements similar to hand-to-hand can combat seen in the army training video. the captain worries as the department of defense looks for ways to level the playing field for women they may be harming female

troops. two combat tours taught her she was not as physically capable as her counterparts. >> i broke down and had muscle atrophy and weight loss at a much faster rate and noticeable mate than my male marines. i found tripping constantly. my legs buckling. falling during firefights. having a hard time responding to enemy contact as far as my response time from when i initially got to country. >> reporter: captain petronio believes women should be in combat as they are already are on the front lines. she wants open date, not policy decision where they can serve and not fail. jenna. jenna: interesting perspective from someone who knows and has experience. jennifer, thank you. jon: thousands of visitors to one of this country's national parks could be in real health danger. new details on a deadly medical scare in a vacation paradise and what they're trying to do about it. plus, top advisors to

president obama get tongue-tied over a simple yes or no question. as the romney campaign take as page out of ronald reagan's playbook. a fair and balanced debate after the break. [ pilot ] now when you build an aircraft, you want to make sure it goes up and stays up. [ chirp ] with android apps, you get better quality control.

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jon: so as the democratic convention gets ready to open governor romney's campaign is posing this question to voters. are you better off than you were four years ago? ronald reagan had great success using the same theme in his 1980 campaign in which he was trying to out of president jimmy carter. this time around president obama's advisors are not giving what you would call very direct answers. >> yes or no, are americans better off today than they

were years ago? >> listen, george, they did a good job of reciting all the statistics everyone is familiar with. >> year ago the president told me i don't think americans are better off than they were four years ago. you still can't say yes. >> well, we have clearly improved, george from the depths of the recession. >> david, can you honestly say that the average american is better off today than they were four years ago? >> when this president took office we were losing 800,000 jobs a month. the quarter before he took office was the worst quarter that this country has had economically since the great depression. and we are in a different place. 29 straight months of job growth. 4.5 million private sector jobs. are we where we need to be? no. jon: will the question resonate with voters and how can democrats counter the message? let's get a fair and balanced debate underway. chris kofinis, former chief of staff to democratic senator joe manchin of west virginia. terry holt former bush-cheney national sfogs man or former senior advisor

to the rnc. chris, why the reluctance to answer that question. >> to be honest, i'm not sure. i think it is a pretty clear answer. we are better off. if you look in terms where the country was when the president came into office, we were losing an enormous number of jobs. the country was headed toward a financial and fiscal cliff. he turned the country around. republicans can disagree. but those are the facts. we're growing jobs. in particular, national security, in terms of getting bin laden those are significant accomplishments. jon: all right. >> to me, to me the real question that the democrats need to pose is, would you be better off if mitt romney had been elected four years from now? four years ago? if you ask that question, i'm not sure you get a good answer from the republicans. jon: terry, he said republicans can disagree. i will give you the opportunity to disagree? >> what is so great about the this question we don't need rocket scientists or a tv talking head to make

analysis. we can all say is our job safe? are we making enough money? is our community in decline or is it improving? we don't need all this spin. we can look at our own situation and we can find out that answer and the question that voters go into the voting booth in november with has to be really simple and basic like that because at the end of the day this is referendum on barack obama and his policies and whether they're out there working for average americans and the answer is no. they're are more poor people. there are more people on food stamps. people are earning less money. they're working less. the country is in decline and that's what this election is all about. jon: chris, the poll question, the pollsters asked this question, how is your family's financial situation now versus four years ago? i'm sorry, 36% of those responding said it's worse. 36% said it is the same and only 28% said it is better.

kind of hard to spin that postively, is it, chris? >> i mean, listen, considering where we were again, in where we are today is a huge difference. now are there people hurting in this country? of course they are. do democrats have a message they have to go out there and sell? of course. it is not just a referendum. this is where i think people make the mistake. no election is simply a referendum on a incumbent president. it is also a choice the choice is between two fundamental different visions. if you look at governor romney's policies and proposals they are basically the same proposals and policies that got us into this mess. so i'm not sure how voters will look at governor romney and say, sure, let's elect him so we can create the very disaster that led us into this situation we are today. jon: terry, take that one on. is governor romney's policies the same? >> governor romney will call for lower taxes and less regulation. unshackling -- >> so did george bush. >> the way that this country

got going again is leting people have more of their money so they can make decisions and take risks and create opportunities for other americans. >> that's great. tell me -- >> at the end of the day, i didn't interrupt you young man. please let me finish. we are trillions of dollars in debt. people are looking at huge new tax increases square in the face in january. and this administration has literally gone to the, gone fluffing all over the place looking for different ways to make a political nightmare into something that maybe was just george bush's fault? i don't get it. i don't don't think the american people will buy it. jon: chris, final thought. >> here is where i think the fundamental question no republican has yet been able to answer. terry couldn't answer it. what is the difference, what is the policies -- >> trillions of dollars, trillions in debt. more. >> now you're interrupting me. let me finish. reality you can't point to

one policy, not one, where governor romney differs from george bush or any republican policy got us into the mess. tell me one. answer it. >> what got us into this mess is barack obama's profligate spending, the deficits and debt he is racking up every day. that is the difference, if you want a big policy difference it is that. the federal government is going broke and this president is responsible. >> amazing that you ignore the mess that you guys created. jon: we're going to have to leave it there, chris kofinis and terry holt, very lively discussion, gentlemen. we'll sort it all out in '64 days. jenna: it is labor day. are you supposed to take a break on labor day? jon: take a rest. have a barbecue. jenna: they didn't and we appreciate it. call it a00 much but probably no accident that congressman paul ryan is in north carolina today. how about that? the gop fighting to keep their message front and center during the democratic convention a live report on how they plan to do it.

remember joe biden was going to tampa but that big storm got in the way. back in 2008 governor bill richardson supported barack obama for nomination over hillary clinton. we'll talk to the former new mexico governor on how he thinks the democratic party has changed over the last four years and why americans should still stand behind the president. we have him coming up next. be the millionth customer. would you mind if i go ahead of you? instead we had someone go ahead of him and wifty thousand dollars. congratulations you are our one millionth customer. people don't li to miss out on money that should have been theirs. that's why at ally we have the raise your rate 2-year cd. you can get a one-time rate increase if our two-year rate goes up. if your bank mes you miss out, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.

jon: congressman paul ryan, the republican vice-presidential nominee, a campaigning today in north carolina of all places. the day before the democratic national convention kicks off there in charlotte. other top gop leaders also will be in that state this week. it is a political tactic some call bracketing where one party tries to take spotlight away from the other party's big event. john roberts has more on it. he is live on the convention floor. no, outside. >> reporter: we're inside and outside, john. used to be during the conventions the opposition party would lay low and allow the their people to rest up. republicans launched democrats did in tampa an aggressive counter programing yesterday. we were in the war room. they're bringing up some of the republican stars, nikki haley from south carolina, mary falin from oklahoma and

jason chaffetz very popular congressman from the state of utah who says, you know you can't just lay low during these conventions anymore snu can't, used to be you could respond in the next day or two and put out a letter. between tweets, facebook and 24 hour news cycles you better be right there on the scene to provide a perspective. >> reporter: and the perspective they are trying to put forward in this convention, jon, is, the idea, reagan did back in 1980, many people say it helped him win the election, are you better off now than you were four years ago. jon: we heard congressman chaffetz there talking about twitter and facebook. is that how they're getting the message out? >> that is part of how they're getting it out. the republicans have rented space in the big nascar headquarters here. very popular place. they have access to a television studio. they had a press conference about an hour ago. they had a party last night. gave out little chot keys a lego set that says on the back, you didn't build that a and tissues that say, breaking up is hard to do.

they're trying to convince people to break up with president obama. they're releasing top secret obama campaign agenda which as you suspect is blank. they have a new ad, echo ad, takes a look what president obama is saying in the campaign now comparing it to what he said in 2008. that things are very, very similar. take a look. >> if you are willing to work with me. if you're willing to work even harder in this election. then i promise. then i problem is you, i promise you change will come. >> reporter: this very intense outreach campaign will continue all week. republicans remember all too well what happened to candidate john kerry in 2004. the democrats held the convention at end of the july. he was dark, off the air for the entire month of august. they don't want what happened to him to happen to mitt romney. here is sean spicer, director of communications for the rnc. >> they sat back and waited and obviously didn't work out too well. we'll make sure we take advantage of every minute we can be here in charlotte. >> reporter: as much as the democrats have this huge megaphone coming out of the

time warner center behind me, the republicans will try to match it. it will be a little difficult, jon, because their staff is slightly smaller let's say, than the one the democrats have here. jon: folks in those swing states can expect to see even more political advertising over the next weeks. >> reporter: absolutely. jon: john roberts, thank you. jenna: the economy may be taking top billing in the election this year for obvious reasons but remember last time around it shared the spotlight with the war on terror. in the 2008 convention, governor bill richardson addressed foreign policy. take a listen. >> barack obama and joe biden believe we must fight the terrorists, not where we imagine them to be, but where we know them to be, like afghanistan and pakistan. jenna: joining us now for a look how things have changed since then, governor bill richardson, former ambassador of the u.n. and governor of new mexico. you had a beard back then, governor. i guess there is a change, right?

>> there is a change. i got out the presidential race. i was rebelling against all the pundits and consultants. i took it off because it is very hard to manage. jenna: that was interesting. you were going rogue there in 2008. >> yeah i was, i was. jenna: nice to have you back on the program because foreign policy and issues that are really facing the country today the are really serious ones so i want to jump right in. you mentioned afghanistan and pakistan and rooting out terrorists there and the biggest state sponsor of, one oe biggest is iran. we just learned the last couple days iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons and continues to get around some of our sanctions. so, considering all that, why should the american people trust the president with another four years in office when it comes specifically to the issue of dealing with iran? >> well, because what he said he would do he's done with terrorism. we have decimated al qaeda. we took out bin laden. al qaeda throughout the world is decimated.

we have sensible counterterrorism and terrorism policies. we have the europeans with us. we have an international effort which we didn't have in the previous administration. with iran, jenna, i think what the president has done is we have almost a noose around iran, with economic sanctions, banking sanctions, energy sanctions. i think we have a iran screaming with all this pressure. i don't think they're serious about negotiating at this point but i think they could be. and i think the administration's policy of saying we're not going to permit them to move towards nuclear weapons, we're going to tighten sanctions. we're going to make it an international effort, is working. that's why i believe the president deserves that trust. jenna: if it is working then why are they still pursuing nuclear weapons four years

later? >> well, they are right now under very crippling sanctions. they import most of their oil. their gasoline, their food. the sanctions are really working. i think you're seeing some very strong internal debates within iran. yes, they're moving but i think the nuclear development has been slowed down. we have very capable intelligence with the israelis on what they're doing. i think they're still aways from developing it but policy is working. the alternative is a military option which i believe is not feasible. our military people are saying that also. it will only provoke widespread rebellion in the region. so the policy that we're following of, with the europeans, with the international community, squeezing them with horrific sanctions i believe is the best way to go. jenna: just yesterday you said that you believe at this point, in this administration we have solid

relations with china and russia but we've seen china and russia really haven't helped us with the u.n. and otherwise when it comes to iran and syria so why do you think this president has solid relationships with both of those countries? >> well because, jenna in the areas of trade and in the areas of national security with with the russians we've got potential nuclear arms treaty, we've got a number of other initiatives with china in the national security area like with north korea to cool north korea down. jenna: but they underminded us when it comes to iran and sanctions. they continue to do business with iran. russia gives the attack helicopters to the assad regime to kill their own people in the street so they seem to be undermining our foreign policy in the region? >> no question, jenna. they are strategic competitors of ours. they will not do what we want every time. we have more areas of cooperation with them than not. we have to manage the

relationship. what governor romney said he would do with china is the day after he comes in he is going to cite them for trade sanctions that will be a trade war. to say that with russia there are number one geopolitical foe, that is not the case. it is just exacerbating relationship with two of the countries that we have to deal with. they're not necessarily --. jenna: who do you think is our number one geopolitical foe? >> iran. there is know request about it. and i believe that al qaeda, the remnants of terrorism, hamas, hezbollah, syria, right now. coupled with iran those are the crises we're dealing with right now but terrorism is still a serious threat, and i think the president's policy in afghanistan continuing to move forward, moving out but letting the afghans train themselves is the way to go and i think national security is a big

plus for this president and he has had a very good foreign policy. jenna: governor richardson, i didn't get a chance to talk more about the democratic party. i hope you come back to talk to us about that as well. i always enjoy talking with you about foreign policy thank you for your time today. >> thank you, jenna, the prosecution and defense are preparing for closing arguments in the drew peterson murder trial. the former cop accused of killing his third wife remains a suspect in the disappearance of wife number four. our legal panel weighs in on this case next. campers hoping for a relaxing end of the summer were forced to vat wait because averaging wildfire. we'll take you live to los angeles. a little bit more vanilla? this is great! [ male announcer ] at humana, we believe there's never been a better time to share your passions because the results... are you having fun doing this? yeah.

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jenna: right now the fate of drew peterson hanging in the balance. closing arguments are set to begin tomorrow in the former police officer's murder trial. is accused of killing his third wife, kathleen savio. the defense closed its case last week after calling a bombshell witness, divorce attorney harry smith. the prosecution calling the move, a quote, gift from god. what is up with that? joining us now former prosecutor faith jenkins and criminal defense attorney, esther panage. why did the prosecution like this witness the defense called? >> because this witness helped advance the key theory in this case. the witness came in and said that stacy peterson talked to him as her attorney said if i tell police what i know

about my husband's involvement in kathleen savio's death, will that help me get more money? that was huge. and the defense had presented several motions to keep this witness from taking the witness stand. all of sudden, one of the attorneys on the defense team had a change of heart and decided to put this witness on the stand. the prosecution was ecstatic about this. they should have been. that testimony could be crucial in turning this case in their favor. jenna: esther, is that it? does the defense lose based on that one witness and calling the wrong witness to the stand? >> of course not. and i think part of what the defense did was trying to show that stacy peterson had a financial motivation for maybe fabricating evidence about kathleen savio's death. of course this is a circumstantial evidence case. unfortunately it is very underwhelming for a circumstantial evidence case. the state's own initial investigation showed that kathleen savio's death may have been an accident.

so if the jury wants to find any doubt, reasonable doubt, which is the threshold for convicting somebody, they have it from the state's own evidence. i would also add, i would also add that the last witness prior to this divorce attorney was the child of drew peterson and kathleen savio who believed in his dad's innocence. which is very compelling for a jury. jenna: that son is of college age. he is going to the university of pennsylvania. he said i believe my dad is innocent. but the judge struck the testimony as soon as jurors heard it. but that son has been in court. he has been talking to his dad. sitting mind his dad, showing confidence in his father. faith, if you're giving your closing argument tomorrow, how will you bring this one home for your team? >> jennifer that is her son. a son loves his father and he is going to be supportive of him. that is not a surprise there. so i don't think that testimony is necessarily

that compelling. however, if i want to bring this home i'm going to focus on the 30 fact witnesses i called as a prosecutor and also the three expert witnesses i've called to rebut the initial ruling this death was an accident. you brought in experts now that are credible, reliable. their testimony was accurate and what they described. they said there is no way that kathleen savio could have died the way that initial description was put forth. so that is just simply not accurate. here you have a is a right of here say -- hearsay witnesses who come forward, people who don't know each other, who never crossed paths before, but all say somehow kathleen savio said drew peterson would kill me that is what he was telling people. that is what he is telling her. jenna: faith brings up an important point, 30 witnesses. not just one or two. there is no physical evidence but hearsay evidence. there are 30 of these folks. how do you bring it home? >> the state could have brought 3,000 people. the fact there are not

actually facts bringing forth showing that drew peterson committed the crime for which he is charged, not that he might be a, not a nice guy. i think a lot of people can agree he is pretty arrogant and a narcissist. that doesn't mine he committed the crime which he is charged. criminal law and trials are not popularity contests. they are about proof and actual evidence. not hearsay statements made by a person who may have heard something. it is direct evidence that needs to be brought forth, actual evidence. not inferences. and there is just not enough circumstantial evidence and the totality of this case that the jury can rely on. so if they want to believe that there's doubt they have enough from the state east own witnesses. jenna: i have to give you the final thought because faith started us out. how long do you think it take as jury to have a ruling on this? >> you know what? i've done this a long time. i can't plan what a jury will do. if they're thorough they will go through all the

evidence again and again until they have a obviously a unanimous verdict. jenna: closing arguments tomorrow. faith and esther, thank you for your time on labor day. you get the day off too. we preerlt it. we'll follow what the jury does here. >> thanks. jon: it is a summer vacation hot spot. one of america's national treasures. there is warning out for thousands of visitors to yosemite who may have been exposed to a dangerous virus. what you need to know. >> kind of scary. it's something that you hope you never get. but it's out there. [ mother ] you can't leave the table till you finish your vegetables. [ clock ticking ] [ male announcer ] there's a better way... v8 v-fusion. vegetable nutrition they need, fruit taste they love. could've had a v8...

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jenna: it is a true treasure i can tell you from being there myself, yosemite national park in california is quite a sight to see but right now authorities are saying as many as 10,000

visitors may have been exposed to a deadly hantavirus. it is spread by rodents. six people have been infected, two of them have died the park sending letters to guests who stayed in certain cabins between june and august sparking a wave of phone calls from frightened visitors looking for answers. >> i did think about it and i know i had my dad calling me. he knew we were staying here. he was concerned about us. >> we didn't rent one very close to the park, about 45 minutes away because we didn't want to deal with it. it is very scary. jenna: the virus is rare but definitely serious. according to the cdc there have been nearly 600 cases of hantavirus in the u.s. from 1993 to 2011. one-third of them were fatal. so rare but serious. joining us now, managing editor of foxnewshealth.com, fox news medical a-teamer, dr. manny alvarez. dr. manny, what make this is virus a dangerous virus?

>> it is dangerous because there is no treatment. if you get a severe pull moan nary infection there is no treatment for it. you have a terminal case of the flu where you have no oxygen going into your lungs, your heart fails and then you die. what makes the story important because this was concentrated in one area that had a lot of exposure to people. as of today i think we're up to the third victim from that specific exposure is. so, you know, and they found the rodents which, you mentioned before. this virus is carried by mice. and rats also, especially field mice. if you get exposed to the droppings or the urine of these mice in a tent you can really get exposed to this virus. jenna: if someone has the virus can they spread it to other humans. >> no it is not transmitted from human-to-human. the problem with this it has a long incubation period, anywhere from four to six weeks. you can imagine, you kind of

gone, let's say in late july, into this, get exposed and then maybe end of august, beginning of september you begin to develop flu-like symptoms. that is why it is very important for people to be notified and to be aware of the signs and symptoms. jenna: is there any calling sign if you will of this particular virus so you would say, wow, this is really different than the flu or different than a really bad cold i have had before? >> even for a lot of doctors it is very difficult to make the diagnosis, if the patient doesn't disclose, hey i had a camping trip and the whole thing, it looks like flu. it looks like a bad case of the flu. jenna: if you haven't camped and haven't been to yosemite is this something rest of us don't have to worry about? >> we don't have to worry about but 10,000 people between july and august. jenna: that's a lot of people. >> it is a lot of people. if you catch it early, that is the whole trick, if you catch it early, doctors can do supportive treatment and minimize side-effects. if you catch late and don't

pay attention it can be quite deadly. jenna: dr. manny, always nice to see you. >> thank you. >> dr. manny, i was in yosemite back in june. i may have to schedule an office call. but i wasn't in the tents. >> i will keep an eye on you. jon: please do. prince andrew giving new meaning to the royal highness. he scaled a skyscraper in london to raise money for two different charities. it is called the shard and now the tallest building in europe. looking back from the descent from the 76th floor, it is a hell of a long way, so understated. a statue of president obama is getting a lot of attention. not cast in bronze or made of marble but sand. the statue is 25 feet tall. it sits a few blocks from the convention hall. commissioned by officials in myrtle beach, south carolina, to attract tourists their way.

five people spent five days building it. the price tag? about $30,000. one danger? any rain coming through the area and this sand sculpture is toast. jenna: the reviews from the crew -- shaking head. don't see the likeness. everyone is a critic. a monster truck out of control and crashing into a crowd during a race. wait until you see the incredible video. we have it just ahead. we have live team fox coverage from charlotte, north carolina. we'll have the president and his team trying to make the case he deserves a second term. our own brit hume is next.

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jenna: it's just before noon here on the east coast, and "happening now" the president prepares to make his case to the american people for a second term in office. jon this as democrats get together for their national convention in north carolina. and we have you covered, fox news team coverage from charlotte where we are hearing first lady michelle obama may be about to do a walk-through of the arena. meanwhile, a half a world away we're learning of some major terror arrests in india. members of the group tied to the horrific mumbai attack four years ago may have been planning new attacks. a live report. and a frightening scene at a monster truck rally here in the u.s. we have more of this scary video to show you coming up.

jenna: well, to holiday for politics and no holiday for the team of "happening now." jon: that's right. jenna: and we're willing to not have a holiday. jon: happy to be here today. [laughter] jenna: we really are, because it is a big week ahead. democrats and republicans hitting the campaign trail, north carolina's gearing up for the democratic national convention. it is their turn this week, the democrats. we're glad your with us on this labor day, i'm jenna lee. jon: plus we get free barbecue lunch down the hallway. jenna: do we? jon: i think we do. [laughter] the president addressing a rally of united autoworkers in toledo, ohio, before heading to louisiana to tour some of the damage left behind by hurricane isaac. vice president biden in detroit at a labor day rally organized by the afl-cio, all of this leading up to the democrats' big convention getting underway tomorrow in charlotte, north carolina. carl cameron is 230 miles east

of charlotte live in greenville where the republican vice vice presidential candidate paul ryan is holding a rally. is this ryan sort of bracketing the democrats? >> reporter: leading the charge, in fact. and the barbecue's good in greenville too, jon. jon: probably better. >> reporter: paul ryan will be at the head of the parade for the republicans as they try to set about this entire week trying to wrack, as they say -- bracket, but it really means undercut what democrats are doing in charlotte. mr. ryan will seize on the question yesterday, they haven't quite figured out what the democrats' message is when asked if if the country's better off than it was four years ago. initially, a top democratic surrogate said, well, no, and now the obama campaign is very aggressively trying to turn that around and say by any measure, the economy is better. republicans in turn jump on that. so paul ryan today will take the

stage here in greenville and rally north carolina, a state where president obama won last year and is holding his convention -- four years ago, rather, and is holding his convention in hopes of keeping it in the blue column. but it's an open question as to whether or not he can do that. this is a state that traditionally is much more republican and conservative than democrat and liberal, so paul ryan today will lead the charge in the sort of across the state and across the country exercises in trying to make sure that folks watching the democratic national convention get a big, hefty dose of the republican view of the way things are going. jon: obviously, the democrats hope that by holding their convention in north carolina, it's going to help the president win that state again as he did four years ago. the question is, will it work? >> reporter: it could, but it's so close. the national polls, the battleground state polls, the north carolina polls show that it's effectively a tie. in fact, the latest poll here in north carolina suggests by the charlotte observer that it's a virtual tie. but mitt romney is up at the

upper edges of that margin with a bit of a lead, and it shows he's actually gained some ground and surged ahead since the last time this particular poll did a survey. and amongindependents, which will be so important in these battleground states, romney also has a six-point lead over president obama. north carolina, a state that is traditionally red, turned blue during the 2008 obama victory, but the romney camp believes notwithstanding the attempt to hold a convention here, they will be able to carry this state and make it a waste of time and money for democrats to have held their convention here. it's only monday. we've got four days to watch the democrats have their show, but republicans are going to do everything they can to try to overshadow it or undercut it, and paul ryan's going to lead that charge today. jon: carl cameron there covering the big convention. carl, thank you. and the day before that convention gets underway, democrats are still struggling to come up with a good answer to that simple question that carl was referring to, are americans

better off now than they were four years ago? well, today some of the president's surrogates are trying to walk back answers that they gave on the sunday talk shows. here's one of them yesterday. >> can you honestly say that people are better off today than they were four years ago? >> no, but that's not the question of this election. the question without a doubt, we are not as well off as we were before george bush brought us the bush job losses, the bush recession, the bush deficits, the series of desert wars charged for the first time to credit card by -- >> yeah, but -- jon: so let's talk about that answer with our senior political analyst brit hume. you've asked a lot of questions of a lot of politicians, brit. when he said, no, we aren't better off than we were four years ago, what does that say to you? >> well, it's not -- it wasn't just he saying that, governor o'malley, it was also david axlerod hemmed and hawed about it, and so did david plouffe,

senior obama adviser on yet another network. so there was this chorus of people unable to answer firmly in the affirmative, the question that faces any incumbent seeking re-election, are you better off? now they're all coming out today in unison and saying, oh, yes, we are better off, but the president himself has said that, you know, not too long ago that he wouldn't be able to say that. so i think that it's a little hard to get the toothpaste back in the tube having said what they've said. jon: well, here is a sample of what governor o'malley said today when he was asked the same question. he said: is there anybody who thinks we've recovered all we've lost in the bush recession? i don't think anybody can say that, but clearly we are moving forward, we are creating jobs, unemployment's down, job creation is up, and those positive movements would not happen without the president's leadership. essentially, it gets back to what the obama campaign is often accused of doing which is to blame president bush. >> well, that's right. and we'll undoubtedly hear more

of that as this convention begins to get under way. but i'd say, jon, that what we heard in to malley answer is -- in the o'malley answer is a lot of the case that will be made this week. people may not feel like they're better off, the obama administration is trying to make the case than they're better off than they would have been under republican leadership and better off than they will be if they should make the mistake in the democrats' eyes of electing, of electing mitt romney. so that's what we'll hear. it's not as good as being able to come out and tick off a long list of particulars and ways that the country is clearly better off, but i guess it's the best they can do. jon: and, you know, when you look at things like the unemployment numbers, i mean, the president points to the fact that jobs have been created for some consecutive number of months, but basically, it's a number that keeps up with population growth in this country.

it really doesn't advance us, really doesn't get us any closer to where we were. >> that's true. and, you know, at the time when the, when president obama was elected, the unemployment rate was lower than it is now. now, it was headed, to be sure, to be fair, unemployment was headed in a bad direction which continued for some time after he took office before the rate finally began to come down. the question people will have to ask themselves in this election is, did the economy begin to recover which happened in june 2009 when growth began again because of obama policies, and did the weak recovery that has ensued result from obama policies, or was this simply the best you could do coming out of a recession that they will argue was deeper and worse tan they imagined? there are a lot of reasons why that argument doesn't hold water in my view, but they will make that argument nonetheless.

jon: quick question about the mood. i was in denver four years ago, the atmosphere was electric. is it electric there in charlotte now? >> oh, jon, you just felt that way four years ago because you were home. [laughter] jon: well, i liked it. >> no, the truth is there's no convention session today, we'll not start until tomorrow, so it's a little hard to gauge the mood, but just looking at the circumstances, that romantic vision of the obama presidency and of obama himself that took hold four years ago, i think, has faded in favor of something different. that doesn't mean people won't support him, it doesn't necessarily mean he won't get the turnout he did although it'll be harder than four years ago, but clearly the atmosphere's different. jon: brit hume, it's good to have you on, thank you. >> thank you. >> they need all of you to stand up! stand up, colorado! stand up! [cheers and applause] florida, stand up! michigan, stand up!

pennsylvania, stand up! [cheers and applause] get up off your hind ends! in the cheap seats, stand up! [cheers and applause] we want them, we want 'em to hear you, we want 'em to hear you from denver to detroit, from montana to mississippi, from california to the carolinas! [cheers and applause] jenna: that was a clip from the 2008 democratic national convention in denver that brit and jon were just talking about. montana governor brian schweitzer firing up the crowd. he's going to take the stage once again at this year's convention. the big question, governor, is whether or not you're going to call out to the cheap seats again. are you going to do that again, governor? >> well, there's plenty of cheap seats, so we'll probably be talking to them again.

[laughter] jenna: i read in "the new york times" that as recently as february you asked the president straight on if he had what it took to written this race -- to win this race. why did you ask him that question? >> because the other governors sitting around the table, they know what it's like when you're in a re-election year. have you got the fire in your belly? is your family up for this? because a lot of nasty things happen during the election cycle. people say things that aren't true, people say mean things. and you've got to have that fire in your belly to win an election like this, and we heard it from him in spades. he's got the fire in the belly. jenna: so you have the confidence in him. we showed a little bit of that speech that you gave in 2008. the bulk of the speech was really about energy, about embracing alternative energy, embracing oil production as well, and you said that you really were excited about the president because of his policies when it came to energy. you call yourself one of the biggest keystone xl supporters in the country, and we know right now that that project is

in the very least delayed by this administration. so talk to us a little bit about that. >> well, actually, the keystone is delayed by nebraska. as you know, the keystone pipeline starts in alberta, comes across montana, then south dakota. it's proposed to go across nebraska, then kansas, oklahoma, then texas. now, all the rest of those states and alberta have permitted it, but not nebraska. boy, they said, oh, we've got to study this, change the laws, so they actually haven't given them a permitted route, so it's difficult in washington, d.c. for them to give them a permitted route until we actually establish what that route would be. it's the republicans in nebraska who took the wheels off the bus and then the republicans in washington, d.c. want to know why the bus is running late. jenna: so your not disappointed with the president when it comes to his energy policies over the last couple of years, you approve of the way he's embraced energy in this country or the way he says he has? >> well, when he was elected just four years ago ce of gasoline in the summer of 2008 was about $4.11.

we were about $3.43 this summer. we actually have gone be from importing about 60% of our oil to about 40%, and more than 50% of the drilling rigs working worldwide are working in the united states. we're producing more, we're using less. that's a path to energy independence, and i like that. jenna: so it's interesting that you're a democrat and you're governor of montana because i went back and lookedded at some of the voting records in your state, and if you look at the way your state has voted in the presidential lengths, it's voted mainly republican going back to the clintons, right now it looks like your state leaning towards mitt romney. why are you supporting the president? what is it about the president that continues to get your support when the people that you represent may not be as convinced? >> oh, gosh, i think it's been since lbj since a democrat got to 50% in montana, so that's not unusual. but this president was, inherited one of the worst economies in the history of this

country. 29 consecutive months of increasing private sector jobs. by the way, all over this country we've been decreasing public sector jobs. in montana public sector jobs are down by 4.2%, and we're at 6.5% unemployment. so we've created 4.5 million new jobs, private sector, decreased the public sector jobs, and montana's on the mend and so is the rest of the country. jenna: you also say you cut more taxes for montana's residents than in previous, than any other time in state history. >> and seven consecutive years of the largest budget surplus. jenna: well, i asked that because that seems more like something we heard from the republican convention than we're hearing from the democrats. i have to take a quick break, and i'll bring you right back to respond to that, governor. we'll be right back with more "happening now". >> all right, thank you. ter sto] [ male announcer ] when your favorite foods fight you, fight back fast with tums smoothies. so fast and smooth, you'll forget you had heartburn. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums [ male announcer ] tums smoothies.

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jenna: back with us now is governor brian schweitzer, the above from montana, democrat there that's supporting the president and is going to be speaking at the convention. i just wanted to get your full thought, governor, about job creation because you're proud of your record in montana when it comes to job creation, but i see prominently displayed on your web site, one of your pluses you talked about is cutting more taxes for the folks in montana, and i was wondering how big a role you think that plays in private sector job growth and whether or not you think that's something the president needs to advocate more. >> well, first you've got to balance your budgets, and we went seven consecutive years with the largest budget surpluses in history. and once you build those budget

surpluses, then you can give some money back to those hard working taxpayers. but you've got to get to a budget surplus or balanced budget before you can do those things. in montana we've invested more money in education, and the results are in. the u.s. census bureau has said montana is increasing the percent of our population with a college degree at the fastest rate in the country. we're number one, montana. jenna: so what do you think you're excited about when it comes to another term of president obama, what do you think he would give to the american people that would be different than the past four years that would continue job creation? >> well, we're going to continue developing domestic resources. we went from importing 60 % of our oil from foreign dictators to about 40% today. we've got more drilling rigs working in the united states than all the rest of the countries combined, we're creating jobs in the private sector not just in the energy business, but in the technology business. and because we have some of the cheapest natural gas and electricity prices anywhere in the world, we're attracting manufacturing to come back to

the united states for the first time in a generation. so we're on the mend. jenna: okay. governor schweitzer, nice to have you today. thanks for sticking with us to answer a whole bunch of questions. we look forward to having you back, sir. thank you. >> thank you. jon: well, some downhill racers using gravity to get their kicks and reaching impressive speeds in this race to the finish. we'll show you some of the highlights. also, is the president and democrats -- as the president and democrats get ready for their big convention in charlotte, we'll take a closer look at the battle growmed state of north carolina. -- battleground state of north carolina. >> 435,000 people out of work in north carolina. you know what, north carolina? we can do better than this. [cheers and applause] >> help is on the way. [cheers and applause] if you have copd like i do,

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jenna: going to get a little international news into the mix today. new concerns over violence in syria. france's foreign minister says western powers are now preparing a tough response in the event the syrian government uses chemical or biological weapons on its own people. one of the questions would be what would our role be this that response. joining us now is a former spokesman for the last four u.s. ambassadors to the u.n. how would the united states respond if suddenly we find out some of these chemical weapons are being used? >> well, the president said that's when we would get involved, that's the red line. if there were chemical weapons, biological weapons like gas used, then suddenly the u.s. would be urged to act. and what i find troubling about that is right now we have a policy of shock and awe. basically, the obama administration has shocked and awe -- is shocked and awed that we have 30,000 people dead, 1600 people dead in this week alone.

and yet we are going to wait until gas, chemical or biological weapons are used before we actually get outraged. i think this is an admission by the administration that they're very comfortable with standing on the sidelines, and i don't think that that's a great role for the united states to be in. jenna: one of the topics that comes up when we talk about syria is libya and how we got involved there through nato, and if i remember correctly, it was the europeans that said, hey, listen, we have to get involved, and we kind of all got in together. that's why there's been some criticisms of the administration from the leading from behind, that's something that they, of course, refute. rick, do you think it would take that, though, to get involved? would it be the united states leading, or do you think it'd be the united states taking a cue from somewhere like for instance to, for us all to jump in, if you will? >> well, it's a really good question, jenna, because there's no question that when nato urges us that we should follow like turkey is a member of nato, and

if the turks feel that we should get involved in syria because they are being attacked or that their border firings, then we should support the turks. however, i think if you go back and you look exactly at what the obama administration had said our libya policy was about, it wasn't just about nato. it was about the united states doing something to help another country when there were clearly, when there was clearly violence and killings going on. so i think it's really difficult for the obama administration to pretend like a libya policy is our strategy but then look away when it comes to killings in syria. you cannot justify going into libya and not going into syria with any type of a strategy. jenna: if you're talking about humanitarian crises which is something that,'s obviously, came up when there's been conversation about syria. is this a civil war? what is this. we just had governor richardson on the program last hour, and he said yesterday that we have

solid relations with china and russia. tell us your thoughts on that. you know, do we have that right now when it comes to this administration? you laugh a little bit, when it comes to syria? how does that all play in as well? >> well, let's remember that this administration pressed the reset button with russia and decided that our relations from the past weren't working, and they wanted to move forward. any rational person should look at the voting record in the united nations of russia or china. they have not supported us. it is stark. they have vetoed multiple resolutions on syria, they have only supported us once on iran. in the bush administration, we got five resolution on iran. i hardly think that the cowboy administration of the past, which is what the obama team tries to label previous administrations, i don't see how a cowboy administration can get five resolutions on iran and this administration get one and nothing in two years.

the simple fact is that russia and china love a weaker united states. they want to have the flexibility to be able to do what they want, and having president obama not challenge them and not offer consequences for bad behavior is exactly why they're comfortable with this administration. jenna: we'll see what happens next in syria and whether or not that line is crossed. the big question is, does that line even need to be crossed, which is what you raised today. rick, nice to have you on the program as always. thanks for the time. >> thanks, jenna. jon: we've mentioned that president obama is visiting four swing states on his way to the convention in north carolina. among the dozen battleground states that could hold the victory keys come november. today we're going to take a closer look at north carolina. that's the state where the democrats, obviously, are holding their convention. in charlotte. unemployment in north carolina

very high, 9.6% compared with the national average of 8.3%. gas prices about $3.80 in north carolina, and when you look at the history of presidential visits, mr. obama was last there on april 24th. mitt romney's been there three times, last time was august 15th. both states -- i'm sorry, both campaigns fighting very hard over north carolina. the president won it last time by about 14,000 votes over john mccain. governor romney thinks he can take it this time. let's talk about it with jim more el, a political reporter for the charlotte observer. i read a piece that you wrote for your paper, jim, in which you discussed the latest poll results, and they seemed to indicate that in north carolina at least mitt romney got something of a bump from the republican convention. >> yeah, thanks, jon. there was a university poll that came out today previewed yesterday that showed romney up

47-43 in north carolina. there have been a couple other polls today that have also shown it to be a close race, one by public policy polling showed it dead even at 48 apiece. so i think any way you look at it, north carolina's still a battleground state. jon: yeah, president obama sort of broke the mold when he won that state four years ago, and all indications are that he's going to have trouble holding on to north carolina this time around. >> well, i think it's one of the tougher battleground states he's probably got. you mentioned there were a dozen. paul ryan is in eastern north carolina today at the campus of east carolina university, so republicans are certainly, you know, fighting hard here. and there's been a whole lot of tv spending already, i think about $30 million of which the republicans, governor romney and his allies, are outspending the democrats 2 to 1 on that. so we've seen a lot of the campaign already, and we expect to see a lot more for the next couple months. jon: maybe it's too early to

answer this question because the real convention hasn't gotten underway yet, but are folks welcoming delegates with open arms and, you know, the spending money they bring with them, or is it considered a hassle because of the motorcades and the road closures and so forth? >> i think a little bit of both. there are a lot of people that are welcoming with open arms, and there are a lot of people that are just staying as far from downtown and the convention activities as they can. i think it's also something that the democrats are trying to use this convention to move the needle, as they say, in the campaign in north carolina. we talked about it being a close state. democrats are using the convention to recruit volunteers and register voters, so they hope it makes a little difference. jon: all right. jim morrill from the charlotte observer, thanks very much for being with us. >> thank you. jon: we are going to take you now to the president who, it's my understanding, is on his way,

is visiting -- i'm sorry, louisiana today, do i have that right? no, this looks like a campaign event. jenna: he's going to louisiana in a couple hours to survey some of damage. right now he's in toledo, ohio, and we expect him to make some remarks about the auto industry because that's been something that the president has talked a lot about, the auto bailout, taking credit for the industry surviving. so we're going to have him give some of the introductions he normally does. you can see this streaming live on foxnews.com, but i believe we're going to take a quick break right now and be right back with more of the president's comments. >> thank you. >> obama!

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jon: it is labor day. president obama is in ohio, toledo specifically, speaking out at this labor day rally in that city. let's take a listen. >> on a day that belongs to the working men and women of america. [applause] teachers and factory workers and construction workers and students and families and

small business owners and i know we've got some proud auto workers in the house helping to bring toledo back. [cheers and applause] after all it's working folks like you who fought for jobs and opportunity for generations of american workers. it is working people like you who helped to lay the cornerstones of middle class security. things that people now sometimes take for granted but weren't always there. the 40-hour work week, weekends. paid leave, pensions, the minimum wage, health care, social security, medicare. those things happened because working people organized and mobilized.

it is unions like yours that helped to forge the basic bargain of this country. the bargain that built the greatest middle class and the most prosperous country and the most prosperous economy the world has ever known. and you know what that bargain is because it's a simple one. it's a bargain that says, if you work hard, if you're responsible, then your work should be rewarded. [applause] that if you put in enough effort you should be able to find a job that pays the bills. you should afford a home to call your own. that you will have health care you can count on if you get sick. that you can put away enough to retire, maybe take a vacation once in a while. nothing fancy.

but you can enjoy your friends and your family and most importantly that you can provide your children with an education to make sure that they do even better than you did. [cheers and applause] it's an american promise that says no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter what your last name is, no matter who you love, you can make it here if you try. that's what we're fighting for, toledo. that is what is at stake in this election and that's why i'm running for a second term as president of the united states of america. [cheers and applause] jon: if you would like to hear more of the president's speech in toledo, ohio, on this labor day, we'll have it streaming live for you on foxnews.com.

well it is election season after all and when the day gets closer the candidates like to connect with voters by giving them a peek at their personal lives including some of the things they like to do and some of the things which they're good. we're hearing a lot of claims by the president. a "new york times" piece by a journalist jody cantor, that the president kicks a really mean chilly, that he has a talent of musical pitch and a good pool player and dad letter of -- doodler of unusual skill. we have ellen ranter in. jumpinger ton. both are fox news contributors. ellen why do we need to know that the president is a doodler of unusual skill?

>> you want to vote for president by who you want to know for next four years, who you want to have a beer with and who you want to invite in your living room. you have to humanize him. governor romney came in instead from a stage and shook hands. it humanized him. they have to do the same thing for president obama. jon: jim you have another thought what this kind of article suggests about the overall power of the presidency. >> yeah. the power of the presidency, to hypnotize the press. that is what it is. everything seems obama does is virtue. he is competitive. he cooks good chili. i worked for reagan in the '80's and '80s. he was a good doodler "the new york times" never praised him. anything the president does they praise. for example, 104 golf games. he is competitive at golf. that's nice. i thought he was supposed to be competitive helping the country. unemployment at 8.3%. last week we read 120 countries endorsed iran's nuclear program not our opposition to iran's nuclear

program but endorsed iran going forward with its nuclear program. crickets out of the white house. instead we get articles like this how good he is is at cooking chili. >> jim, you have a very short memory, my friend. because remember how many stories we saw about the kinds of jellybeans that president reagan liked? or i remember hillary clinton one time she mentioned she liked bananas, everywhere she went for a year, all they had was bananas. this is very common with presidents. >> it is very common among presidents. jean healy wrote a book called the cult of the presidency. all this adulation. most of the stuff for reagan i was there for that. they weren't praising reagan for jellybeans. they were using jellybeans what a irrelevant personal person was. they savage nancy reagan wearing a red dress. whether negative or positive it is unhealthy fixation on

one person. >> we agree with that. jon: this piece was not entirely adulation toward the president. most of it was about his self-adulation. one of the quotes from the article he may not always be as good as everything he thinks he is including politics. while mr. obama has given himself high grades for his tenure in the white house many voters don't agree citing everything from his handling to the economy and unfill filled pledge he would be able to unite washington to his claim he would achieve israeli-palestinian peace. this is a man who, well, thinks pretty highly of himself. i guess you expect that from somebody who holds highest office of the land. >> jon, a picture is worth a thousand words. that is him somewhere looking good. not talking about david plouffe getting money from iranian-backed company. they're not talking about that. talking about all the personal attributes. part are endearing and not all positive.

if the president has a choice talking about his personality and pool game versus talking about his record on the economy and foreign policy he will take the former and "the new york times" knows it. that's why they did it. >> i was one of the state breakfast and one the labor leaders went through the talking points the president will be talking about thursday night. jim to your disappointment he will talk about his economic record. and i think that he is going to talk about the changes he has made. change and hope, remember those two words, jim? >> i do remember those. again the times is talking about this, not 8.3% unemployment. obviously obama will give his own best spin what happened when he speaks thursday night. meanwhile the press can be counted on not to take him apart in any serious way. jon: it has been pointed out in the press the president has not had time to meet with jobs panel but he had time to play golf. the article points out, that someone dealing with the world's weight at thisest matters mr. obama perfects

less consequential pursuits. he played golf 104 times according to mark knoller of cbs news. he asked superior players for tips to help lower the scores. given the tone of the article, jim, i'm surprised he found a superior player? >> [laughter]. one rare moment of, i think it is also mentioned in the article when he was with a bunch of famous basketball players. i'm used to be the most famous person here but gee with all the basketball legends i'm fifth or sixth. obviously deeply disappointing to him and self-reference for himself. >> oh, jim. he comment about the golf. he has been president four years. 25 times a year. once every other week. i think the president of the united states, be it ronald reagan or president obama is allowed to play golfer other week. jon: well, when president bush famously gave up golf once we were at war. he decided, it wasn't

appropriate for a president to be out on the golf course when we had troops in harm's way. >> i understand that. >> the president's tripled number of troops in afghanistan. and as you, look, it was funny hear him say this in ohio a moment ago, listen you all get a vacation. nothing fancy now. he gets fancy vacations. auto workers get what they get. jon: jim, ellen, we have to say good-bye. thank you both. >> thank you. >> bye-bye. hi, i'm amy for downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters, here with my favorite new intern, jimmy. mmm! fresh! and it's been in the closet for 12 weeks! unbelievable! unstopables! follow jimmy on downy.com for free samples

jenna: right now to india. the same group of terrorists behind the 2008 mumbai attacks is now linked to a plot it to get into nuclear facilities. the attacks in 2008 across india's largest city lasted three days and more than 160 people dead. chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge has more live for us in washington. >> reporter: thank you. the indian authorities are releasing photos of the suspects. so far dozen alleged tariffs have been arrested accused

of targeting indian nuclear power plants. with new information leading to today's arrests indian authorities say the men had money to fund the operation and equipment from pakistan and saudi arabia. while the power plants were not identify the suspects were arrested in two major cities. bangalor has been long a hub for the group blamed for today's plots as well as 2008 attack in mumbai, india. mumbai was seen as a water shed because the terrorists used low-tech attacks to achieve devastating consequences over nearly four days operatives relied on cell phones for communications and automatic weapons to launch 11 coordinated strikes. 164 people were killed and more than 300 were injured. more than that the simple attacks paralyzed india's main commercial center. let is based in pakistan and was behind the mumbai attacks and is blamed for

today's plot on india's nuclear energy plants. state department's assessment of terrorist groups maintains let remains strong. >> i have not seen any decrease in lack shar al tybe ba. seems to be a great concern and i spoke about threat that lack lax shar. >> pakistan is accused providing shelter to let and this is the same pattern with haqqani network which uses the base in pakistan to launch attacks against u.s. and coalition forces in pakistan, jenna. jenna: to point out it was the pakistan see skret service that -- secret service that picked them up, is that what you reported as well? >> reporter: the two suspects were picked up and

interrogated by the intelligence services and that led to the sweeping arrests in india. jenna: catherine, thank you. jon: a frightening scene at a monster truck rally. have more of this scary video coming up.

jenna: an out of control monster truck crashing into the crowd during a race in oregon. you can see one of the massive vehicles go by. suddenly the truck behind it loses control. you see what happens. the camera jerks away before impact but the front of the truck reportedly went over the barricade striking three spectators sitting in folding chairs right in front there they were brought to the hospital. fortunately none of them suffered any life-threatening injuries. so lucky. what an accident. jon: incredible. a massive wildfire raging right now in southern

california. it has already consumed around five 1/2 miles, square miles of a national forest near los angeles. adam housley live in our west coast newsroom now with that. adam? >> reporter: yeah, jon, seems like these fires are coming out every couple of days in the west. the fire season is already been a difficult one. the fire you're talking about is called the williams fire. if you fly into los angeles it is off to the mountains on your right above lax in the community of glendora. some flames are shooting in some cases 100 feet in the air. this is steep and difficult terrain. good news it is not threatening any major home developments or campgrounds. the bad news this is happening on a holiday weekend. about 12,000 people normally using the angeles national forest to have camps and activities this holiday weekend were told to evacuate in order for emergency crews to get their engines in there and help response times.

there are at least 300 firefighters on the scene right now. the new numbers have come in. the williams fire which began yesterday near a campground has already burned more than 4,000 acres. as you mentioned that is five 1/2 square miles in less than 24 hours. the area had a fire in 2009. but this is the part that did not burn. shows you how tinder dry the west is right now. already this year we covered major fires in colorado, mon tan, idaho, oregon, washington, and a number of fires here in california. we haven't gotten into the thick of california's fire season yet. that comes in september and october when the santa and in winds come in. there is no sign of water in the west. rainy season is mid to end of october. every single state seems like here in the u.s. already spent more money than they am located for all of fire season and we still have two months to go. jon? jon: a competent very expensive problem.

adam housley live in los angeles. jenna: live team fox coverage as democrats gather in north carolina for their convention. it is their turn this week. stay with us for all the latest on the action in charlotte on the fox news channel. we'll be right back. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle -- 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge!

jon: check this out, dare dells square autoin calgary, canada, for the 11th world downhill skateboarding and street luge championships. competition was fierce, racers can reach, get this, 55 miles an hour on this long downhill track. participants say the speed is a major rush. >> it's adrenaline, speed, control, style combined into momentarily changing things in the -- in racing really. so, yeah, it's formula one, and you've got the skateboarding and the surfing attributes and the pure feeling on gravity